Paralysed Italian in euthanasia debate dies

ROME, Dec 22 (Reuters) A paralysed, terminally ill Italian man whose public battle to be taken off life support divided the predominantly Catholic country has died after a sudden deterioration of his long-term illness, his supporters said.

Doctors and politicians who support the legalisation of euthanasia had volunteered to disconnect Piergiorgio Welby's respirator despite a recent court ruling that questioned his right to end the treatment that kept him alive.

But Welby's own doctor had said that if he had removed the respirator as his patient had requested, he would then have been obliged to resuscitate the man.

Welby, who would have turned 61 next week, suffered from advanced muscular dystrophy, leaving him bedridden but lucid.

''Piergiorgio Welby died last night,'' said leftist lawmaker Marco Pannella of a pro-euthanasia movement which Welby supported. ''I believe those of us who remain should be hugely grateful to Piergiorgio for being a source of love and hope.'' ''Welby's suffering ended with his natural death,'' said Renzo Lusetti, another lawmaker from the ruling centre-left coalition, who is personally opposed to euthanasia but believes the Italian parliament should engage in ''deep reflection'' on the issue.

RALLYING CRY Speaking via a computer that interpreted his eye movements, Welby had appeared on television news programmes and wrote to Italy's President asking to be taken off the respirator so he could ''find peace for my tortured and shattered body''.

The case became a rallying cry for supporters of euthanasia, which is illegal in Italy. This weekend a Rome judge rejected Welby's request to be allowed to die, saying his right to have the respirator removed was not ''concretely safeguarded'' by law.

Prosecutors, who in Italy are involved in most court cases even when they do not bring the prosecution, questioned that verdict this week, citing a clause in the constitution stating that no one can be forced to accept medical treatment.

They said doctors, by their own code of ethics, must limit themselves to spare terminally ill patients pointless suffering when their condition cannot be improved and death is inevitable.

But on Wednesday a health ministry body sided against taking Welby off life support. Doctors who perform euthanasia in Italy can face prison terms of up to 15 years and the Roman Catholic Church forbids it.

Only Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium and the US state of Oregon permit assisted suicide for the terminally ill.

Prime Minister Romano Prodi called for a show of ''respect'' for Welby's death. His ruling coalition includes Catholics who abide by a Vatican ban on euthanasia and some leftists who favour it or want parliament to debate it.

Reuters PKS RN0506